Month: April 2018

Has it really been 12 years since I last attended the Corsa Motoclassica at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, California? A lot of things have changed and a lot of things have stayed the same. Willow Springs still feels (and looks) like the place I raced a box stock Suzuki GS550 in 1978. There are new attractions around the main road circuit (the Walt James Stadium, a kart track, skid pad, the Streets of Willow) but Big Willow is still the raceway’s heart and little has changed. It is at…

A buddy (thanks, Byron) found me an old Manco mini with a seized engine and some missing pieces but it had potential. A Harbor Freight 6.5 HP, 212 cc Predator engine fit in the frame nicely (once the fuel tank was removed) and a call to AZ USA Parts (thanks, Horton) got me all the little pieces needed (clutch, throttle and chain) plus they were really helpful people. I still need to find a gas cap that fits (my gas cap is cracked), but this thing is a torquey beast…

This is a Running When Parked (RWP) that I’ve been watching for a long time. It shows up on Craigslist every few months and has been doing so for years. The asking price ($5,000) might be putting off some riders, but wait, the latest ad is updated. Although it says the bike is a Running When Parked, it contradicts that statement by saying the owner has got the bike running. The $5000 asking price isn’t too far off if you have an emotional attachment to Honda Scramblers and are not…

Tech Crunch is reporting that Uber has purchased bike-share company Jump for close to 200 million bucks! The article says that Jump employees will join Uber’s team but the bike-share company will carry on as an independent, wholly controlled subsidiary. That is the official company line in the majority of company takeovers, but time usually proves that duplication of efforts are eliminated. The tech industry is not known for job security.

Most of the featured RWP’ed fall into the derelict category and would be best served with a trip to a car crusher. But not this little gem. This is one RWP’ed that doesn’t appear to need much more than a fluid check and a boot on the kickstarter to bring it back to glorious life. This looks way more like a RTR (Ready To Ride) than a RWP. If it is not sold, you can check it out by clicking here. The phrase “running when parked” (RWP) is code for…

The following is a story I wrote shortly after Steve Tilford’s death. On the one-year anniversary of Steve’s tragic accident, I post it here for the first time to honor his memory. Like every person who had the privilege of meeting Steve, not a week has gone by that a Steve memory hasn’t crossed my mind. TILFORD TALES: The fast life of a mountain biking legend Mountain biking lost a beloved friend and champion (both race champion and vocal advocate of mountain biking) on April 5th, 2017 when Steve Tilford…

Mayor Bill de Blasio took a potentially giant step forward towards reducing traffic congestion, parking shortages and fossil-fuel-burning auto emissions by rescinding his total ban on e-bike use in New York City. The mayor’s press release (click here to read it) is welcome news for delivery services, commuters and tourists in the Big Apple. The mayor’s announcement takes the same stance as IMBA as far as Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes. He welcomes Class 1 e-bikes while keeping the door closed to Class 2 e-bikes. My feeling is the…